The University Games Track and Field Championship 2025 was held on 23rd and 24th August at the Diyagama Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Homagama, bringing together athletes from 16 universities across Sri Lanka for two days of competition. As a result, the event was one of the most anticipated fixtures on the national university sporting calendar, drawing strong participation from institutions across the country.
The University of Vavuniya entered the University Games Track and Field event with a squad of 15 athletes — 9 men and 6 women — competing across a range of sprint, distance, throwing, and hurdles disciplines. In preparation for the championship, the team’s training in the months leading up to the event focused heavily on strength conditioning and technical refinement, particularly in the throwing events.
Individual Highlights at the University Games Track and Field Championship
Several Vavuniya athletes stood out during the competition. N. Janarthanan claimed 3rd place in the discus throw, a strong individual result against competitors from larger universities with more established athletics programs. K. Nithursha followed with 4th place in the 100m hurdles, narrowly missing the podium after a closely contested final. While the remaining athletes did not finish inside the top eight in their respective events, several posted personal-best times that the coaching staff highlighted as encouraging signs for the season ahead.
Team Standings
In the overall team rankings for the University Games Track and Field Championship, Vavuniya’s results were:
- Men’s team: 11th place
- Women’s team: 9th place
- Overall: 11th out of 16 participating universities
These rankings reflect a competitive field, with several universities fielding significantly larger squads across a wider range of events.
Looking Ahead
The University Games Track and Field Championship gave Vavuniya’s athletes valuable exposure against strong national-level competition. Coaches noted that the experience — particularly for first-time competitors — will be central to preparation for next year’s meet, with a renewed focus on the throwing and hurdles events where the team already showed promise. The athletics department has already signalled plans to expand training resources ahead of the next championship cycle.
